Killed a Snake Today and Oh, By the way, I have Malaria!!

Hello family                       

                How are you all doing? Well I am just fine and dandy. Its been another long week in Fiapre. On Monday – Friday we had meetings like our district meeting and we had a service project where we planted corn. We had our zone conference on Friday and the mission president came and talked to us but other than that not much is going on. The other fiapre missionaries had a baptism on Sunday it was very nice, it was an older man about 80 or so and he was baptized by one of his friends it was sweet.

Oh ya we killed a snake to day

Michaela- when are you sending me some stickers? I have been out on my mission almost 2 months so that means that you need to send me 2 stickers. School is almost done this is your last week right? What are you going to do this summer?

Alex- wow almost a big high school kid arnt you cool ha. No but that is so cool I remember when I was going to start high school it seemed like graduation was so far a way. But as I look back it went by so fast so here is what you need to do. JUST HAVE FUN!!!!! School is only hard if you make it hard wow did I just say that!  But really there are times you need to have fun and high school is one of those times. Have a wonderful  last week of school.

Chele – how is work going ? I know it sucks but hey like I said its money. Have you finished the book of Mormon yet  it took me about a week or so. Anything else going on with you? What are your plans for your farewell what are you talking on what day do you leave for the mtc again?  Well just have fun before your mission the small time I had between the time I got my call and left for my mission those memories are the ones I think of when I think of home so JUST HAVE FUN!!!                  

Mom and dad – how are  you two doing anything funny happen at work (mom)  anything lame happen at work (dad) just kidding how is work for both of you?  The work here is hard!!!  I am just trying to push thru it and trying to help people understand the gospel. 

                                                                                I love you all very much

                                                                                                Elder Riddle

Then a few minutes later i get this......Dad, I need to talk to you. Are you at a computer?...I respond by saying yes,  is there a problem?  And he sends this......

Hey I don’t know if I should be telling you this and you can choose to
tell Mom or not, but I have malaria. I guess I got it while in the MTC.
It takes 3 weeks for the symptoms to show.  Ii am lucky because I
am taking my doxy so I did not get it as bad. Ii started feeling sick
on Thursday night. I was in bed all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I am
feeling much better now because they gave me meds. I know it sounds
scary but its really common here. Its like the flu back home. Will you
just pray for me. I am not back to full striength nor will I be for about
a week. You can tell whoever you think should know sorry for the short letter today
but I have been a little preocupied
Love and miss you
Elder Riddle

Farewell Date Set

It is official........Rachele has been asked to speak on June 24th at 1:00pm for her Farewell!!

2 White Elders

Dear Family and Friends 

                How is everything going? It really feel like I just talked to you guys on the phone. Well not much is going on here just a lot of work. We have only one lesson a day which is not good we usually plan for 5 or 6 lessons a day but they usually fail us. Well I have a little story for you all. Elder Belnap told me this the other day. Gladys our jr mother, 2 years before the missionarys came to teach her she had a dream and in this dream she was walking with 2 white men and she was best friends with the 2 white men. And when she woke up she could not figure out why she would be walking let alone be friends with to white men. But she realized what the dream ment 2 years later when she met 2 white Elders. She realized what the dream ment and joined the church. Today she is bestfriends with us. She says she will always take care of the missionarys because that’s how she is going to pay God back for everything he has given her. People here think that God speaks to them through their dreams which he does sometimes.  And now we are having problems with 2 people that wont look for the answer God is giving them to their prayers because they have not seen it in a dream. Well sorry this email is short but I am sending letters tomorrow so you will get those in about 2 weeks.

From Ghana with love

Elder Riddle

ps

Today I bought milk which was not cheep. I bought ketchep and strawbery milk flavoring. I say its been a good p-day. I love you all and your letters are in the mail tomorrow. The blog looks nice. I am sending you and Mom a small preasant for Fathers Day and Mothers Day. I will send it with the letters tomorrow.  

Ghana MTC Pictures

Bob Sent us and SD Card with a few more Pictures...these are just a few.

MTC Life

Trip to the Accra Temple

Hair Cut Day MTC

Elders of the MTC

Mothers Day

We received "Our Call" this morning at 8 am.  We were able to talk to Bob for about 2 hours.  It did not seem that long.  He is doing great.  It was good to hear from him. I won't go into what was said.  It was mostly questions we had for him about the area, and what the MTC was like and all of that kind of stuff.  He did say that they are teaching a lot of people.  After he called us he called both go his Grandmas and talked to them for a few minutes.  They both immediately called us and told us that he called them.  This morning we received a short email from him. 

Hey everyone I know I talked to you all yesterday, but I want you all to know how much I love you and I want to thank you all for your support. I am not going to lie, its hard in Ghana. But I know this is where I need to be. Your letters help so much. I read about 10 emails every Monday and its the best to hear from you all. I talked a little about them yesterday, but mom I want you to know I am being taken care of over here by my jr. Mothers. And speaking of that just today I went to buy eggs. We buy about 20 or 25 eggs every so often but today when I went to buy eggs (the lady we buy them from is a member) and she dashed the eggs for me ( she gave them to me for free) thats 6 ghana cedes about, 3$ she is a wonderful lady. And tonight a lady named Sis. Gladys (she was baptized on april 14 but we confirmed her a member yesterday) she is making us fufu tonight for dinner so dont worry I am getting food.  I love you all.  Email me soon! I love to have emails every monday.
FROM GHANA WITH LOVE
Elder Riddle

We just received this letter from the Couple Missionaries in Bobby's Area.

Hi Sister Riddle,

We were hoping to get you this email for Mothers' Day but the internet has been down in our apartment complex for the past few days and we have just barely got service again.  My husband and I are the senior missionary couple serving in Sunyani.  Our home is in St. George, Utah, and we have been here since the middle of February.  Sunyani was just officially made a district last week and my husband will be serving as District President, so we will now be able to accomplish a lot of the things that need to be done here. 

Your son arrived here just a few days before our big conference.  We just wanted you to know what a fine young man he seems to be and to let you know that his companion, Elder Belnap, is a great Elder and will be working as his "trainer", helping him to adjust to the African way of life and missionary work.  When we first arrived here, we were definitely in "culture shock" but now after a few months we are getting used to this little part of the world.  Africa is truly a primitive country and it can be hard at times, but we want you to know that we have never felt threatened or in danger and that the Sunyani people are loving and kind and truly a delight to work with.  Elder Riddle seemed tired (understandably) when we picked him up the first night at the bus stop, but by the next day there was a smile on his face and he and his companion Elder Belnap seem to be the perfect match.  They are already working hard.  Thank you for sharing him with us for a few months.

Sister Kathie Thayne  

It was like pulling teeth, but we finally got info...........1st Area Sunyani and Maybe New Mission

Hello
Just so you all know, I am in a town called Sunyani. Our zone is called
Fiapre it is a small village north of Kumasi. I think I am going to be
one of the Elders that ends up in the new Kumasi Mission. (not in the Cape
Coast Mission). This town is very beautiful. The people (women) are
very smart.  I am sending you all letters they should be their soon. 
I dont have much to say right now but think of questions you can ask 
me on Mothers Day. I get to call home on Sunday.
Love
Elder Riddle (bob)

We just got this email from Elder Bob a few minutes after the first one.

Sorry it is hard to tell you guys everything in an hour by email, But
we are teaching 6 lessons a day some are to families and recent
converts. There are only 2 people that are not members that we are
teaching. We are teaching a small group of kids that know the church
is true but their mom will not let them be baptized till they are 18.
Its sad, the oldest kid is 16 and the youngest is 4. I am learning so
much from my comp. Elder Belnap. He is from Idaho Falls. (small world)
He is a great missionary. I have not seen him, nor will i,  Elder
Bunker in our stakeGuess who he is dating the Nhyland girl that I
went to school with once again small world.  Elder Belnap  is a
great trainer. He loves the gospel and God. Guess where his dad is
from? Blackfoot! small world. Did I tell you that I think I will be
apart of the Kumasi Mission and not the cape coast mission?  This
means I will either be coming home 3 weeks early or 3 weeks late. I
miss you guys and love you all.
Elder Riddle

The rest of the conversation is Lori and I asking him questions.  You can understand what we are asking.

No, I can not understand them because they are speaking diffrent
language called twee ( i think thats how you spell it) and here I
thought I was called to speak in english. Wow its hard but I am looking
forward to learn small small (they say small instead of little) twee

Today is p-day we went to play basketball. The phones here are
diffrent. I need to buy a sim card and then buy credit for the card. Oh
and the things you can buy here (food) really cheap I can buy a loaf
of bread for 1.50 ghc that is less than 1 $. What time do you want
me to call you guys? ( american time) I have church till 1pm Ghana time. I will call you at 2 Ghana time. 

The area is very dirt filled. Very hot, its just like a villiage you
would be thinking of but there are more buildings like
houses/compounds. All one story basic houses. We have 2 rooms a kitchen
2 bathrooms a shower that some times works. I have been using a bucket
to shower the last 2 days. And then we have a washroom that consists
of 4 buckets. Yes i am washing by hand i did / doing my laundry as we
speak.

love you all. I will email you all next week
Love your most favorite son and friend
Elder Riddle 

This was on the Cape Coast Mission Blog.  Bobby leaving the MTC

Front Row:  Sister Yapchelimo, Elder Dinku  

Middle Row:  Elder Udo, Sister Graham (MTC Pres.) Elder Adouman, Elder Dikane, me  

Back Row:  Elder Riddle (he is SO tall!) President Graham, Elder Baird, President Shulz

This was also on the Mission Blog. They just made Sunyani a new District.

This was at District Conference.

Front: Elders Mensah & Okechekwu   

Middle:  Elders McFarland, Nwatu, Brown & Morrison   

Back:  Elders Otagba, Obasi, Riddle, Alba (AP), Nzuki (AP), & Kitchen.

View Larger Map 

Sunyani is a city in the West African republic of Ghana, and is the capital

of the both the Sunyani District and Brong-Ahafo Region.
According to the 2012 population estimates 87,642 people reside

in the city of Sunyani

Surrounded by the forested Southern Ashanti Uplands, the city of Sunyani
arose as an outpost camp for elephant hunters during the 19th century. 
The name Sunyani derives from the Akanword for elephant 'Osono.

At Last, In Cape Coast!

This is a letter we received this morning from the Mission Presidents Secretary

2 May 2012

I just wanted to let you know that Elder Riddle has safely arrived to the Ghana Cape Coast Mission!  We will send you a picture of him with President and Sister Shulz; and also information about his companion and the area that he is serving in the very near future! 

Sister Asay, Secretary
Ghana Cape Coast Mission

President Shulz, Elder Riddle, Sister Shulz

View Larger Map